I get on the Elizabeth Line at Paddington and put the Philip Glass soundtrack to The Hours on in my earbuds ‘just knowing’ that it would be relevant to the booking I’m reading, @willstorr.bsky.social’s The Science of Storytelling. Two pages in and there’s refs to Wolff and Cunningham…

once again I am begging you all not to use third-party link-shortening services. You don't need to use them! Once the preview shows up on your post you can delete the link itself so you have all the characters! And those of us on zero-trust work laptops get blocked if we click a shorturl!

Tech policy is full of imaginaries. Pick a word or phrase ("AI", "digital ID" are two), add the phrase "efficiency" or "investment", and people who are digitally adept but lacking technology development experience will be queuing round the block to write it into a speech or a policy paper.

A reshuffle *is* happening this week then in No 10. Darren Jones and James Murray will attend Cabinet. Jones' Chief Sec role is new: "[He] will work collaboratively across UK Govt to drive forward progress in key policy areas, reporting directly to the PM." No mention of 'missions' anywhere though

To quote Oscar Wilde on Grimsby Town’s mauling of Man U, “It would take a heart of stone…”

A conventional of plastic bollards in Strutton Ground SW1. They are all fixed to the ground. Any thoughts on why? @londonist.com

Joint statement on Gaza from AFP, AP, BBC News and Reuters

Today we’ve launched a major new Strategic Review – backed by a £150 million spending commitment over 5 years – to back rigorous research & social innovation that tackles the UK’s biggest social challenges. www.nuffieldfoundation.org/about/strate...

In an effort that will no doubt torch my follower base, I have laid out some basic numbers around our fiscal situation. Obvious, but still a little sobering for me. freethinkecon.wordpress.com/2025/07/15/t...

Am feeling a curious absence of sport today. No test match or tennis or Euros or F1 qualifying or even TdF (rest day). (Least said about the FIFA thing the better but that’s done too…) Feeling curiously bereft for mid July

Am feeling a curious absence of sport today. No test match or tennis or Euros or F1 qualifying or even TdF (rest day). (Least said about the FIFA thing the better but that’s done too…) Feeling curiously bereft for mid July

Met some old friends for lunch today and recalled that I first met them when they came over to my then new girlfriend’s flat in 2008 and we listened, gripped to the Wimbledon Men’s Final - Federer vs Nadal on the radio. This one may be shaping up to to match it…

Watching the men’s Wimbledon final and as ever struggling not to see Ron Howard instead of Jannick Sinner…

“just as Trump is forcing Voice of America to withdraw from Ethiopia, Russian and Chinese state-owned media are moving in. Last month, the RT Academy held its first-ever journalism training course on the African continent in Ethiopia” @jamesrball.com app.thenewworld.co.uk/story/138723...

Perhaps “in defence of: it’s all a bit more complicated than that…” worth a read

Once you've taken the #Austen250 test, DON'T FORGET to submit an Austen influenced story for @liarsleague.bsky.social! 800-2000 words by 6th July, Women&Girl authors, writing W&G characters to be read by a fab actress! www.liarsleague.com/liars_league...

2025 is #JaneAusten250 birthday & @liarsleague.bsky.social's annual #WomenAndGirls theme is celebrating! Seeking stories from female authors, featuring female protagonists, & inspired by Austen's works, characters, setting, themes, plots, or her own life. www.liarsleague.com/liars_league...

Strong Day Today vibes about the War News this morning (the end bit of the episode tbf)

Venn diagram

Also note that the color of your swimsuit matters for visibility in emergencies www.cnn.com/2024/06/07/h...

“According to the CDC, in 10 percent of those drownings, the adult will actually watch the child do it, having no idea it is happening”

Just looking through packets of family photos from the mid 1990s - an era that had autofocus - and am struck by still how many were dreadful photos. Blurred, bad composition, colours off

Even before I heard the devastating, horrific news of political assassination in Minnesota, I woke up this morning thinking about Emily Dickinson's great poem "'Hope' is the thing with feathers -" Lots of people know this beautiful little poem, but fewer, I think(?) realize when it was written. /1

Just some action shots of the fantastic #shortstory reads from #DownAndOut on Tue. Huge thanks to #LiarsLeague actors Rose, Olly, Kim, Dan & Matthew & authors Hannah, Neil, Maria, John & Brian! Wanna join? Submit by 6 July to our Women&Girls #JaneAusten theme: www.liarsleague.com/liars_league...

Also @timaldrich.bsky.social hosting!

Rachel Reeves has set out her 2025 spending review. So what's the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk verdict? Watch our webinar at 1600 to find out www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/2025-s... With @jillongovt.bsky.social @gemmatetlow.bsky.social @drbenpaxton.bsky.social @njdavies.bsky.social

I had to read this several times as “prioritise growth” and “hit universities over the head” are so mutually contradictory

Callooh callay oh frabjous day! There is #rain in London

There are more people in that stadium (36k) than the entire population of San Marino (34,042). #Eurovision

Albania auditioning for the next Bond theme #eurovision

BALLER ? #eurovision #germany

"It would cost European nations $1 trillion over 25 years to compensate for the withdrawal of US forces." We should realise how *cheap* this is. EU+UK+NO+CH national income is around $25tn *a year*. $1tn/25y is $75 per year per person. www.thetimes.com/uk/defence/a...

A truism perhaps but I was struck yesterday when reading a ‘lessons learnt’ report that it is, rather, a ‘lessons identified’ report: whether we learn from, and act upon, them takes rather longer…

Search up “Teambuilding” in Getty Images for the same energy

Done! Go on, this is an excellent cause and has more than punched above its proverbial weight (as evidenced by nearly meeting its stretch target!)

This chart is from @britishelectionstudy.com @jamesdgriffiths.bsky.social, me and Ed Fieldhouse. You can see that 2024 Reform voters mainly came from the Conservatives or UKIP in 2015. This has been a story on the right for *ten years* now, unless something very different happened last week.

Once again - immigration *has been falling sharply* for more than a year now. Just bizarre that the media/political debate hasn't caught up with this yet..

It is a bit different to achieve a similar win in local elections as he had done in Euro Elections twice. Running councils is different to having MEPs. More reward + risk: presence, profile + responsibility. Main difference is context (fragmentation) Farage's reach v similar 2014/15-2019-24/25

A delightful thread with lovely (for the most part) replies. FWIW we weren’t that far from naming one son Huckleberry

PhD Timeline xkcd.com/3081

Doesn't sound *great*.

Death by Shakespeare Causes of 74 deaths in Shakespeare's plays #ShakespeareDay

So excited about our #historyteacher conference 'Teaching the United States in the Age of Trump' happening this Saturday 26th April - a joint endeavour between Nottingham @histassoc.bsky.social History Teacher Network, @uonsoe.bsky.social & @uonhumanities.bsky.social . The programme is packed!

Someone in East London woke up this morning with a raging hangover and a mysteriously large green ‘a’ at the foot of their bed

Top trolling from @backmarketofficial.bsky.social

GODDAMIT. IT’S NOT A RESURRECTED DIRE WOLF. 20 edits in 19,000 genes. IT’S NOT GOING TO AID CONSERVATION. EVERY WRITE UP THAT SWALLOWS AND REGURGITATES THIS GUFFERY WOLFSHIT IS DOING PR FOR A FUNDING ROUND.

I'm reminded of this chart. The birth of rapid economic growth in Britain was overwhelmingly driven by exports. Most countries that see explosive growth have rapid growth in exports. Exporting is a good idea. Openness to trade is a good idea. acjsissons.medium.com/9-the-golden...

Brace yourselves for a TORRENT OF TALENT today from the next LL event #RiskAndReward TOMORROW Tue 8 April at @ThePhoenix_W1 "Pearl Onions" by Alex Edwards, set on the 1920s French Riviera, stars Dan Starkey as Julian Poacher: 24-carat cad. Tickets £5 at www.liarsleague.com

DOGE is hosting a “hackathon” in DC this week with the goal of building one “mega API” for accessing IRS data—this includes all your sensitive taxpayer info. Palantir has been brought up as a potential partner for the project. ICYMI this @makenakelly.bsky.social scoop over the weekend:

Particularly delighted for Mark Rosenblatt (who hasn’t aged in 30 years…) in winning an Olivier for Giant. Maybe an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay too in a few years…? www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/a...